Method

Set the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4.

Tip the cocoa powder into a bowl and pour over 175ml (6fl oz) boiling water and stir until smooth.

Beat together the butter, melted chocolate and vanilla extract, and then beat in the sugar and the cocoa mixture. Whisk until it’s smooth, then add the eggs, one at a time, along with a spoonful of flour per egg. Beat in the crème fraîche and chocolate mixture and fold in the remaining flour. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins.

Bake the cakes in the centre of the oven for 30-35 mins,until the cakes have risen and are just firm to the touch in the centre. Remove them from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for about 5 mins before turning them out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling and topping: Bring the cream to the boil, then pour it over the broken-up chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts. Add the vanilla extract. Leave the mixture to cool and thicken to a spreading consistency, stirring it occasionally so that it cools evenly (this process can be speeded up by placing the bowl in a fridge when it’s cold enough).

Slice some strawberries for the filling and halve some for the top.

Spread half of the ganache over one of the cakes and arrange sliced strawberries on top. Place the other cake on top and then spread over the remaining ganache, allowing it to run slightly over the top edge of the cake. Decorate with the halved strawberries. To freeze: The undecorated cakes may be packed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 1 month. Allow them to defrost before filling and decorating.